Employee Relations Investigator

Minnesota IT Services; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is seeking a Labor Relations Investigator to provide enterprise-level leadership in employee investigations and labor relations. You will serve as a subject matter expert, mitigating risk with timely investigations and offering expert guidance on grievances, arbitrations, and settlements.

The role partners with HR leadership on high-risk matters with legal and reputational implications.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience conducting employee investigations.
• Experience interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and analyzing findings.
• Knowledge of investigative principles, techniques, and corrective actions.
• Knowledge of personnel laws, rules, and administrative procedures.
• Experience with union contract administration and interpretation.
• Strong communication and customer-focused problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise-level leadership in employee investigations and labor relations.
• Deliver expert guidance on grievances, arbitrations, and settlement strategies.
• Partner with HR leadership on high-risk matters with legal and reputational implications.
• Serve as management representative in collective bargaining and influence input towards bargaining.
• Provide strategic HR consultation to assigned accounts.

Skills

Investigations experience

Witness interviewing

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Union relations

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Job description

Join the 2,800+ professionals of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who connect Minnesotans to services that will improve their lives. This position joins a dynamic and agile Human Resources Team comprised of 24 talented Labor Relations, Safety, Recruitment, Staffing, HRIS, Transactions, and Learning and Development professionals.

Job Summary

As a Labor Relations Investigator, you will provide enterprise-level leadership in employee investigations, employee relations, and labor relations. Serving as the agency's subject matter expert, the position mitigates organizational risk through timely, objective investigations of misconduct, policy violations, and performance issues, and delivers expert guidance on grievances, arbitrations, and settlement strategies. The role partners closely with HR leadership on high-risk, high visibility matters with significant legal, operational, and reputational implications. Additionally, it provides strategic HR consultation to assigned accounts, driving effective performance management, labor relations outcomes, and policy compliance.

This position will also serve as management representative in collective bargaining as needed, will initiate, review and have access to employer proposals for collective bargaining, and will access to the direct input towards agency strike plans.

This position requires an employee to work onsite at 600 N Robert, St Paul, Minnesota at least 20% of the time, with limited telework available. Telework eligibility depends on residence:

• Candidates living in Minnesota or within 50 miles of the worksite in a bordering state (Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) may telework up to 80%.
• Minnesota residents living more than 50 miles from the worksite may be eligible to telework more than 80%.
• Candidates living 50 miles or more from the worksite in a bordering state are not eligible for hire unless relocating within 50 miles.

Qualifications

Position requires a minimum of three (3) years of experience conducting employee investigations, including interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and analyzing findings.

Experience must include:

• Managing multiple priorities in a fast paced environment with sense of urgency, strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated critical thinking, research, and analytical skills with the ability to gather, evaluate, and interpret information, exercise sound judgement, and develop objective, well supported recommendations.
• Knowledge of investigative principles and techniques for conducting employee investigations and in assessing and recommending appropriate corrective action.
• Knowledge of personnel laws, rules, and administrative procedures, and the ability to apply them to employee-related issues and actions. Working knowledge of applicable state and federal employment laws, including Minnesota and federal labor and employment statutes, sufficient to interpret requirements and provide guidance to HR staff, managers, and supervisors.
• Experience with union contract administration and interpretation.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively in a manner that facilitates mutual understanding.
• Customer-focused approach grounded in active listening, empathy, and solution-oriented problem-solving to deliver positive user experiences.

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related field may substitute for one (1) year of experience.

Additional Requirements

It is the policy of Minnesota IT Services that a successful candidate must pass all legally required checks prior to employment which may consist of the following:

• SEMA4 Records Check (applies to current and past state employees only)
• Criminal History Check
• Reference Check
• Social Security and Address Verification
• Other legally required checks

Minnesota IT Services does not participate in the federal E-Verify program. Minnesota IT Services is unable to sponsor applicants for work visas, including F-1 STEM OPT extensions, and cannot complete Form I-9 or any other documentation requiring employer participation in E-Verify. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application.